International News: Cuba’s population decline deepens as deaths nearly double births
By Zoila Palma: Cuba’s demographic crisis has deepened, with official figures showing that nearly twice as many people died as were born in 2025. The country recorded 136,214 deaths and just 68,064 births last year, the lowest number of births in recent decades, according to data presented Tuesday by the National Office of Statistics and […] The post International News: Cuba’s population decline deepens as deaths nearly double births appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
Black News 
By Zoila Palma: Cuba’s demographic crisis has deepened, with official figures showing that nearly twice as many people died as were born in 2025.
The country recorded 136,214 deaths and just 68,064 births last year, the lowest number of births in recent decades, according to data presented Tuesday by the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI).
ONEI reported that Cuba’s effective population stood at 9,434,593 at the end of 2025, a decline of 313,414 people from the previous year.
The country’s natural population growth rate fell to negative 7.1 per 1,000 inhabitants, while the total fertility rate remained at a historic low of 1.29 children per woman, well below the 2.1 level needed for generational replacement. The population decline has also been driven by large-scale migration, with a reported net migration loss of 245,264 people in 2025.
The crisis has left Cuba with one of the oldest populations in Latin America and the Caribbean, with 26.7 percent of residents aged 60 or older and a median age of 45 years.
Officials also reported that the country has lost more than 1.2 million people of working age over the past five years, creating additional pressure on the economy and social care systems.
Infant mortality stood at 9.9 deaths per 1,000 live births, while officials attributed the broader population decline to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and Cuba’s ongoing economic difficulties.
ONEI Deputy Head Juan Carlos Alfonso Fraga described the demographic situation as unprecedented outside wartime conditions.
The post International News: Cuba’s population decline deepens as deaths nearly double births appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
